USC, Andy Enfield put rumors to bed, ink longterm contract extension
USC ran all the way to the Elite Eight in last year’s NCAA Tournament, lost a player in Evan Mobley who looks to be the runaway Rookie of the Year in the NBA, and has only been better in 2022. Head coach Andy Enfield has helped pilot this year’s Trojan squad to the winningest regular season in program history.
And on Wednesday, one day before his Trojans hit the court in Vegas to play for what they hope is a Pac-12 title, USC announced it has agreed to terms with Enfield on a contract extension that’ll keep him in Los Angeles through the 2027-28 season.
“We are thrilled to announce that we have signed Andy to a new six-year contract,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “Andy has continued to meet and exceed every expectation we have set for him. In our three years working together, our men’s basketball program has enjoyed unprecedented success and the national landscape of college basketball has taken notice. That is a testament to Andy’s leadership of the program, our coaches and support staff, and our talented basketball players. Andy’s incredible accomplishments stand on their own.
“We are excited about the trajectory of our men’s basketball program with regards to results, recruiting, and the development of the young men on our team. We are committed to continuing to enhance and strengthen our program as we move ahead, and we are looking forward to the immediate opportunity to make another March Madness run.”
USC has the No. 3 seed in this year’s conference tournament after a 25-6 regular season that saw the Trojans got 14-6 in conference play. The 25 wins are a program record for regular-season victories in a season, and USC can match the program record for overall wins in a season with a victory Thursday in the quarterfinal round.
“I am so proud of the success our players have had on the court and academically,” Enfield said in a statement. “I want to thank President Carol Folt, Mike Bohn, (associate AD) Brandon Sosna, and (associate AD) Paul Perrier for their support. Their impact on our program has been significant. I also want to acknowledge how fortunate I am to be surrounded by outstanding coaches and staff, and would like to recognize our fans and students because their enthusiasm and energy have been tremendous assets.
“My family and I are very happy to be part of the Trojan Family. I feel great about the future of USC basketball in the Pac-12 and nationally.”
Last season, Enfield was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year (USC’s first honoree since 1992), guiding the Trojans to a 25-8 record and just the program’s second Elite Eight appearance in 67 years.
During Enfield’s tenure, the Trojans set the school season win record (26 in 2017) and have had the most wins in program history in two-, three-, four-, five- and six-year periods. His five-game winning streak over crosstown rival UCLA was USC’s longest over the Bruins since 1943.
Enfield’s overall USC record is 182-116. The Trojans’ 72 victories in the past three seasons are the third-most among Power 6 schools and their 60 Pac-12 wins in the last five seasons are second-most in the conference. In the last seven years, USC has six seasons with at least 21 wins after hitting 20 wins in a season only six times in the 40 years prior.
No doubt Enfield has elevated the standard and national profile of the USC basketball brand. He has seven straight top-30 recruiting classes, with next year’s group positioned inside the top 10. He also has three straight first-round NBA Draft selections, with Onyeka Okongwu (2020) and Mobley (2021) both being lottery selections.
But that kind of success attracts suitors, and in recent weeks rumors began circulating that Enfield might consider other coaching jobs if the right spot came available. Maryland was linked to Enfield; he grew up in the area and completed his MBA in College Park.
Seems like those are now all but put to bed.
Enfield will be sticking around Los Angeles for quite a while longer.